Airlock Alpha will not knowingly publish any story that is a prank, not true, or meant to be misleading -- even in the spirit of fun -- in this place on April 1.

It's not that we don't have a sense of humor. It's just that we know you as a reader come to this place to get news that you can trust and not have to wonder if it's accurate. We do not feel that it's appropriate to use the same space that we present actual news to then post stories that are deceptive, untrue, or incorrect.

We all love a great April Fool's prank, but there is a time and place for it, and neither of them are on the news pages of Airlock Alpha.

Because of the time it takes to determine what news is real and what news is not on April 1, updates to the site will be limited as we work to corroborate any new information that might come out. Any updates you do read on this site April 1 (and any day of the year) will be real stories.

One of the drawbacks of publishing April Fools prank news is that the news can be accepted by many who are not familiar with this "holiday" as being the truth, and it could take literally months if not longer for some stories to finally be debunked in the minds of the general public. For Airlock Alpha, it's not worth the hassle and headache, as we are in the business of reporting news, not debunking the garbage news that people insist on putting out there on April 1.

Readers are free to share April Fools pranks and what-not in message boards. Also, if you read a story from any news outlet that you're not sure is real or not, simply e-mail the link and your question to Airlock Alpha's site coordinator at mhinman@airlockalpha.com.

Enjoy April Fools if that is your thing, and when the jokes are over, feel free to stop by and see what really is happening in the world on April 1.